Thu 6/6 @ 8PM
Tracey Thomas has been one of Akron’s most beloved voices for 35 years. And she’s come a lot way since she was the hot ’n’ sassy new wave chick fronting Akron’s Unit 5 back in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
In the mid ’90s, she released several solo albums before taking some time out to focus on her family (Her 19-year-old daughter Emma Shepard is a blossoming singer-songwriter herself). She came back in the mid ’00s, displaying an even richer vocal talent.
She’s now challenging herself by putting together a special show that will feature classic music in a gorgeous setting. “Fine & Mellow: The Music of Billie Holiday” takes place at the Akron Civic Theatre, one of the area’s most beautiful venues, in cabaret-style seating.
Thomas and her quintet will perform tunes like “God Bless the Child,” “Strange Fruit,” and “Stormy Weather.” Last we heard she was still undecided about whether she’ll wear a gardenia in her hair, a Holiday signature. But she’ll bring insight and maturity to the tunes — as she does to the tunes on her recent albums — that show how persisting can have its rewards.
Tickets are $25. A $40 “Date Night” package includes two tickets and a copy of the CD Ghosts in The Woodwork: The Best of Tracey Thomas.
http://www.traceythomasmusic.com/Welcome.html
Akron, OH 44308